From Many Comes One
by What the Fosh Forum
Summary: From a variety of eras, a collection of individuals find themselves pulled from their lives, somehow gathered together in an unknown, mysterious environment. These test subjects must set aside vast differences and unite to overcome all odds, or else face termination.
1. Chapter 1: Haunted Sleep

**Acknowledgements**

Credits to **Caleb's Fanfiction Creations** for compiling and transforming the piece into narrative,

To **Talicor** for consulation, collaboration, and editing,

And to **Osetto** , **RunningBacon** , **Candace Marie** , and **Kam I Am** to their contributions to the roleplay from which this story came.

* * *

 **FROM MANY COMES ONE**

 **Chapter 1: Haunted Sleep**

 _Hazel stood on a dusty plateau, a battered yet still impregnable wall in front of her, and chaos all around. Sounds of battle. Hazel's allies all around her, fighting and dying against a superior foe. Her family, too, suffering the same fate._

 _She knew this scene all too well. Even had she somehow forgotten the memory of this battle, the dreams would continue to remind her of it. Even ten months later, it felt as if the young woman was only days past the Battle of Otrera, one of two scenes that cycled in her mind, never allowing her to forget them._

 _Limbs aching, wounds flaring, Hazel continued fighting on, taking the progression she experienced nearly every night now. Leaving the battle behind, she slipped into the compound, her brother and cousin just behind her. Then, just as she expected, they were separated from her as the armored and masked terrorists discovered them._

 _Then the deaths. The ones Hazel knew were coming, but hurt her nonetheless._

 _Every single time._

 _But this time the wall did not fall._

 _There was no blast signaling the entrance of Hazel's allies._

 _Instead, she was surrounded. Shots fired, but she could not deflect them all..._

 _But she did not have to, for they were intercepted by... A dark mass..._

 _Fabric._

 _A cloaked figure perhaps. It swirled around, as if turning to look at her. It had a face, masked mostly, save for the shining blue eyes that bored into Hazel. Power...so much power, more than the young woman could even comprehend. It approached her-whatever it was-though Hazel didn't know its intent, for its inner motives were hidden from her._

 _It revealed an amber blade, now within striking distance..._

 _Then vision and senses vanished and the dream ended._

 **o.o.o.o**

 _Hazel overlooked a city, swarming with unsettled life forms. There was no order, only death as the beings hacked at each other with crude weapons, though she could not determine sides for the battle...all it seemed to her was a bloodthirsty rabble, each killing every other person he encountered. A complete slaughter._

 _The scene was not new to her... yet... it did not come from her memory. But how... how could that be possible? How could she recognize it if she had never before experienced it?_

 _Giant gleaming ships caught Hazel's attention as they loomed overhead. They descended to the city and from them came an army consisting of people of all species, yet all were dressed identically, and their eyes all held the same blankness as they marched into the city, scattering the rabble and shooting all those who did not flee fast enough._

 _Hazel attempted to move closer, only for a sable cloak to mask her view, and with it, she lost all awareness, plunging back into the depths of unconsciousness._

 **o.o.o.o**

 _Hazel stood in a hallway, with dull grey walls, ceiling, and floor, featureless save for the containers that lined the wall. The nearest thing she could compare them to was bacta tanks, yet there was no liquid inside that she could see. Only various sedated life forms, each one occupying a glass-like container._

 _Then_ _she felt her feet lifted off the ground. Revealing that she, too, was trapped in a tank._

 _Weaponless, unable to harness the Force, with no means of escape. Panic set in, and Hazel caught a glimpse of something black coloring the chrome surroundings. Then a humanoid droid entered and Hazel's eyes slammed shut._

 **o.o.o.o**

 _Hundreds of gigantic ships deployed from a single, spherical core. Hazel's vision followed one after another, flying to a variety of planets, none of which she recognized. Though her sight was blurred around the edges, Hazel could see enough to watch as armies of droids and living automatons landed, smashing what little resistance came before them._

 _Conquering all in their wake._

 **o.o.o.o**

 _Hazel saw a small, grey, tentacled being staring out a viewport into space, his surroundings a mist to her eyes._

 _Her gaze intensified on the being and she heard a voice, neither inside her head nor out of it._

 _'_ Everything is coming together.'

'My ships are ready, the army nearly prepared for deployment.'

'All that now needs be done is for the testing of the commanders to commence.'

 _Hazel's gaze lifted and she saw two cerulean eyes. Blazing akin to frozen suns from what should have been deep space._

 _Then she saw no more._

 **o.o.o.o**

 _Armies marching._

 _Cities crumbling._

 _Civilizations fading and turning to chrome._

 _Fire..._ _So much fire._

 _And present in every scene as it flashed by... One solitary, now familiar, humanoid figure stood. Watching... E_ _ver watching_ _as the destruction marched forth, swallowing the galaxy... Bringing the very embodiment of civilization to its knees._

 **o.o.o.o**

Though nothing was seen between visions, Hazel felt as if time was passing, unaffected by her. She merely existed, her consciousness flaring to give her dreams, then subsiding into darkness, only to burst to life again... Though each time it rose less than the last. Until there was no sight at all...

Only a voice.

 **o.o.o.o**

 ** _"_** ** _Let the testing begin."_**

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks so much for taking the time to read the first chapter of From Many Comes One. FMCO as you see it here is based off of a roleplay of the same name hosted by What the Fosh!Forum here on ffnet. Lasting from May 15 to October 28, 2014 and consisting of over 80,000 words, FMCO was the first roleplay of our forum and met with huge success thanks to the efforts of six of our forum members, listed above.

We'd love to hear any feedback in the form of reviews, and if you liked the story, don't forget to follow it to be alerted when new chapters are posted. The story only gets better from here! ;)

~What the Fosh!Forum admin, Caleb's Fanfiction Creations.


	2. Chapter 2: Strangers in the Jungle

**Chapter 2: Strangers in the Jungle**

Eighteen year-old Hazel Bark awoke in a marshy forest clearing, with the sounds of wildlife all about her, and the dense flora a little too close for comfort. Hazel tried to remember what she had been doing before her slumber, but couldn't summon anything. The last thing she distinctly recalled was turning in for the night after a boring day at home. Yet...it felt as if there was something between that and the present...something Hazel couldn't quite remember. That was going to annoy her.

Wherever this place, it certainly was not Hazel's home planet of Arebeddon, the surface of which was a rolling plain of hills that covered nearly the entire landscape, save for bits of tundra at each of the poles. Certainly it contained nothing like this. Hazel stared at her comm, pondering whether or not to call a family member to try and figure this out. No, she could do it by herself...it wasn't like there was any danger, and anyone Hazel called would probably laugh.

The jungle was a distinctly humid and boggy one, and not at all pleasant. There also were no visible signs of civilization, nor did Hazel have any means of transport.

 _Fine, I'll just have to call the AoJ and get a ride out of here...or at very least information on where the fosh I am._

Hazel flicked open her comm and called the Agency of Justice headquarters, figuring her cousin or one of his top officers would be there. The comm buzzed for a few seconds before displaying a message that informed her that the call was not made. She tried using the family hotline next. Still nothing. This was ridiculous. Where in the galaxy was there _not_ comm service, even on a planet as primitive as this one appeared to be? Especially for a signal as advanced as the one used by the Barks.

Then Hazel realized that she couldn't even sense anyone. That was even more bizarre. Never before had she felt no trace at all in the Force of any of her family members. It was a connection that had always provided her assurance of their survival during the war...and that had heralded her father's death on Tandor. No, Hazel couldn't start dwelling on that battle now. To shift her focus, she channeled her pent up energy to hurl a moss-laden log several meters into the murky darkness. So her powers still worked. That brought both comfort and worry, for while it meant Hazel had not lost her connection to the Force, it also meant that her family members were unable to be sensed even with her power at full capacity. It was like a nightmare come true; she was trapped without any connection to the galaxy, alone in a smelly, uncomfortable marsh.

With no other option at this point, Hazel lit her blue lightsaber and plunged into the viney depths before her.

As Hazel trudged on, her thoughts turned more and more to Arebeddon. Those bland fields felt more inviting with every hour that passed. This little adventure, if it could be called that, was really making her appreciate the home that she had so often taken for granted, even actively tried to distance herself from.

Kriff, the jungle was bringing out all sorts of deep thoughts.

Another odd thing about it was that the sun never seemed to shift from its overhead position, though Hazel was sure she had been on the move for several hours at least. Or maybe this place was just messing with her mind. Regardless, Hazel was going to need to rest soon, even if the thought of sleeping in this place made her nervous.

Then a splash rang through the low hum of sounds that permeated the marsh, followed by what Hazel could have sworn was a voice. She swung her lightsaber in the direction of the noise, but didn't immediately make out anything out of the ordinary. Then there came the noises of slopping footsteps and a small figure pushed his way into Hazel's line of sight. It was a boy, twelve maybe, about the age of some of Hazel's more annoying cousins, covered in a rugged flight jacket. His hair was ruffled and his coat scratched, giving him quite a disheveled look.

"Excuse me..." he called out, tromping over to Hazel. "This is going to sound weird—insane really—but, uh, I don't have a clue where I am, or even what planet this is. Until today, I had never been offworld before, so could you help me out? Maybe tell me where I am, or where to find the nearest spaceport."

Hazel sighed. "You're out of luck. You see, I don't know where this place is either. I only woke up here earlier today, and from the looks of things I'd say you're in the same boat. You don't happen to know a way out of these woods do you?"

He shook his head. "Nope. I woke up in this jungle and haven't been able to find a way out since."

"Well," said Hazel. "I guess that makes us traveling companions, then. I'm Hazel Bark."

"Jace Dallows."

He considered Hazel for a moment, though she didn't know exactly what he was looking at. "What's the glowing thing you're holding?" he asked at last.

"What, my lightsaber?"

"You mean a real lightsaber? Like those things the Jedi used?"

"Uh huh," Affirmed Hazel. This wasn't a conversation worth continuing. After an awkward pause, she turned and began trudging once more through the dense flora. "Come on, Jace. Nothing else to do but to keep moving. And keep a look out for any water sources. We won't last long at all out here with no fluids."

"You don't even have a canteen on you or anything?"

"No, I don't," snapped Hazel. Then, in a calmer voice she said, "So far as I can tell, I was at home last before waking up here. So survival equipment wasn't something I kept on me. I had to deal with that stuff enough during the war, didn't need to keep hauling it around afterwards."

"You were in a war?" Asked Jace, eyes widening. "But you're only a teenager, at least that's what you look like."

"Yeah, I was in combat. Some of my family members are big names in galactic affairs and got caught up in a war of sorts with a terrorist organization called Red-Eye Five. My Uncle Radal was killed and after that the whole family got involved, including me. Despite the fact that I was only fifteen when it started."

"Wow. Did you ever kill anyone?"

"Yup. But just terrorist scum who would have killed me or someone I care about if I hadn't gotten them first."

Jace didn't ask any questions after that. Perhaps he sensed that Hazel wasn't comfortable talking about it. Or maybe he just didn't know what to ask. Regardless of the reason, Hazel was glad for the silence. Though after a while, it became a bit eerie. No sounds permeated the jungle like Hazel would have expected them to. No, all she could hear was the crunching and slopping of hers and Jace's feet and the sound of their heavy breathing.

Eventually, the forest began to darken. Night had, at last, fallen.

"So...I guess we sleep now?" said Jace, collapsing onto a dry patch of ground.

Hazel turned around a circle, surveying the surroundings. Same old clusters of trees, vines, and leaves that were present everywhere else.

"Yeah. We have to get some rest eventually, and the darkness will make traveling more difficult than it already is. This place is as good as any to make camp for the night, though I wish we had found some food."

"Should we set a watch? The way everyone does when they're in places like this?"

"I suppose we should, but it will cut down a lot on the sleep each of us will be able to get. Besides, there haven't been any signs of life at all out here, so there can't be too much danger."

"So no watch?"

"It's probably the definition of stupid not to, but I don't like if we're in any danger. The need for sleep outweighs the risk."

Hazel sat down and searched for a large enough stretch of reasonably flat and dry ground to lay down on. She found a grassy patch just large enough, but upon resting on it, Hazel felt branches of some sort poking her, forcing her to sit up and spend a few minutes clearing them away. When Hazel was finally able to lay down, sleep came not long after.

 **o.o.o.o**

Hazel's dreams were shadowy. They flitted through chrome hallways, familiar plains, and even more familiar battlefields. Her vision was never clear and all of her other senses were nearly muted, almost as if she was witnessing these scenes from far away. She knew them so well, as many had occupied her dreams so often in the past, yet now they seemed somehow removed from her, as if she was looking into another person's life.

Then the cycle of sights was interrupted by darkness, but that too was quickly broken by a figure soaring through it. What caught Hazel's attention most were the glowing cerulean beams that were its eyes, the light cast by them illuminating the dark folds of a cloak and some shining metal beneath. But Hazel barely noticed those as her gaze was locked to that of the shrouded being that flew towards her.

"Hazel," it spoke, the voice coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. "I am watching over you. You are not alone here."

With that the dream ended and Hazel was thrown back into reality.

 **o0o**

A lone figure lay face down, surrounded by stretching and sprawling flora. Trees rose toward the sky, allowing only slivers of light through their many branches and leaves. Everything jittered and swayed, whilst the lone figure remained utterly motionless. Until finally, movement.

A low grumble emerged from the man, muffled by the helmet encasing his head. Slowly, the figure picked himself off the forest floor, dusting himself off as he straightened his stance.

The man stood tall, with a strong build only bolstered by his thick garb. He exposed no flesh, a tactical bodysuit beset by a heavy layer of spacer's attire covering his entire frame. Various blacks, grays, and browns made up the man's utilitarian form. Sturdy boots, plated inside and out by reinforced metal. Thick trousers, surrounding the right leg of which was a small holster. A heavy coat, the tail of which did not reach past his waist, was tightly fastened around the man's torso. Gloves, gauntlets even, protected his hands. Upon his left arm, a metallic bracer containing what appeared to be an inlayed datapad circled his forearm. A large belt secured itself around the man's waist, containing a number of boxy pouches home to unknown materials. But most eye catching, was the man's faceless visage. Connecting perfectly the underlying bodysuit, a rounded helmet protected the figure's dome.

The piece was smooth and glossy, the light reflecting off its black surface. Nothing beneath the armored, all-encompassing visor was visible from the outside. What kind of person filled the helmet was known only to its current wearer.

Getting his first guttural mumble out of his system, the figure silently panned his gaze across the surrounding area, carefully turning upon his heels as he made a full circle. The man's gloved hands clenched and unclenched time and time again.

With blinding speed, the man reached for the holster strapped to his right leg, only to discover it empty. Gone was the blaster pistol that usually called it home. Withdrawing his hand, the figure instead brought it toward the electronic bracer encircling his left forearm.

The small screen lit up at the first press. With a few taps, he tried to initiate his comm.

No response.

With another tap, he tried to signal his ship.

No response.

With a third, he received a quick readout, detailing a series of numbers and green lights.

That proved a satisfactory enough response as the man returned his arms to his side.

Tilting his head side to side, a soft pop emanated from the man's neck. And with that he took his first step forward, his first step into the unknown.

Once he had begun moving the masked man did not stop, marching through the thick brush with an unrelenting gait, batting away whatever flora dared intrude upon his path. The branches and twigs snapped and bent in response to his motions, almost unrealistically so. As encroaching as the wildlife was, it seemed to do little in slowing the man down.

When he decided to calm his tempered haste, he did so of his own volition. The speakers inside his helm told him of whispers and hums in the distance. The man panned his gaze, making sure it wasn't his own mind playing tricks on him. He checked and rechecked his diagnostics. All of his tech was giving him the green light. Whatever he was hearing, it was genuine.

The man took his first cautious step forward, no longer combating the surrounding flora, but gently pushing it aside. He crept, careful of his footing, always knowledgeable of where he was and where he was going. The sounds were growing louder. The whispers were in fact the faint sounds of conversation being held in a nearby clearing. The hum, though, he couldn't place it. His mind drew only one conclusion, but it made no sense. But as he pressed on, the subtle glow that emanated beyond the treeline seemed to all but confirm his suspicions.

The masked figure peeked his head through a bush, only to sight two people standing in the distance. Both young, though one much younger than the other. A boy and girl perhaps? The man could have gotten a better picture, but his focus was suitably drawn to the shining blade in the girl's hands. The source of the peculiar glow and hum.

The hidden figure weighed his options. No blaster. Both a positive and a negative. He didn't fancy being without his favored weapon, but neither did he fancy waving it around at strangers. Especially when there was a firm chance they were his own source of information regarding his unfamiliar surroundings. But he didn't rush forward. It didn't suit him. He needed a plan. He needed to think. Unfortunately, he didn't have the opportunity. As well hidden as he thought he was, the older of the distant pair turned her head straight toward his position.

The time to act was now. The masked man rose from his crouched position behind the bush. Raising his open hands and flashing his empty palms, the sturdy figure forced himself into the open, silently taking a single step toward the small clearing.

 **o0o**

It was past noon now, and Hazel and Jace had been moving through the hot jungle for several hours. They had stumbled on a stream shortly after setting off again that had provided much-needed hydration and Hazel had decided to follow it upstream in hopes of finding some vantage point. At last there appeared through the trees a clearing of a sort.

"You can rest here for a bit while I see if there's any end to this jungle nearby," Hazel said, speaking for the first time in a few hours. Jace readily obliged and plopped himself down on the sun-bathed grass.

As much as she had hoped to be able to look over the jungle from this point, Hazel quickly realized that the surrounding trees made it difficult to do so. Perhaps if she could climb one she might be able to see something worthwhile.

"Do you think there's an end to this forest somewhere near?" asked Jace, as Hazel had just reached the opposite edge of the clearing. "What if it goes on forever?"

"For all we know, this entire planet is just one huge jungle. But something brought us here, so there got to be some way off. There's nothing else to do but keep looking, unless you want to live here and become one with the wildlife or something stupid like that."

"I'll do whatever you do. Doesn't sound much fun to live here anyways, and I miss my dad."

Hazel paused. That had hit a nerve. What a way to ruin her determined mindset. Despite her efforts to stop it, Hazel's mind filled once more with thought of her own father and the battle that had taken him, just last year. She shook her head.

"Well, I'm gonna trying looking from this tree now. I would tell you to make use of yourself but there isn't anything you can do now. So just sit down and be ready to move again soon.

"Okay."

Hazel had just begun to reach up for a low-hanging branch when her mind jolted, her senses warning her of another presence nearby, watching them. She was met with a great deal of foreboding but when the figure stepped out of the brush it was not who she had expected, and dreaded, to see. No, this man was rather burly and garbed in a spacer's outfit, a well-worn one at that. His face was hidden by the dark visor of his shining black helmet. Even though Hazel was relieved somewhat at the sight of him, hostility overcame reason, despite the man's raised, open-palmed hands.

In an instant Hazel had brought out her lightsaber and pointed it close to the man's chest, close enough that she should quickly strike him down if he tried anything.

"Who are you, and what do you know about this place?" asked Hazel, staring into the stranger's masked face.

The man remained silent for a while before answering. "No need for hostilities," he stated, slow and deliberate in a voice that sounded deep from the helmet's speakers through which it passed. "You can call me Osk. I don't know where I am, or how I got here... but something tells me I am not alone in that fact."

"Yeah, you're right," admitted Hazel. "We don't know anything either. Someone must be kriffing us here, so many of us just appearing here and not knowing how it happened. As much as I hate to say it, we had better band up and try to find a way out, or find who's responsible for all this. So what do you say? Are you gonna follow me or am I going to have to incapacitate you?"

"Look kid, I don't know who you think you are... or who you think _I am_ , but don't think I'm gonna just bend over and start following some little girl's orders 'cause she managed to get her hands on a laser sword."

Hazel tensed. The comment about her lightsaber getting to her the most. If only this man knew who she was and what she was capable of. Indignation welled up inside her but Hazel thrust most of it down again. As much as she would have liked to show this guy what she was capable of, it wouldn't do any good and would probably freak the kid out too.

"Now can you put that thing away?" prompted Osk. "My arms are getting tired."

"Not a chance. Now, are you going to follow me or not?"

"Like I said-"

"Who do you _think_ I am?" retorted Hazel, her anger welling over now. "Do you know nothing? My family are the most powerful Force-users of our time! You know, the heroes of the war against Darth Aelitou _and_ the ones who drove Red-Eye Five into hiding, something I was a major part of. What kind of a rock have you been living under to have missed all of that? And as for my _lightsaber_ , my father crafted it for me when I was just a kid, and I daresay I've earned use of it since."

"Maybe you are more than you seem, but with that attitude no one is going to cooperate with you," said Osk, before tilting his head.

Hazel frowned as the spacer's slight change in demeanor. Something had caught his attention. "What's going on? You got scanners or something in that helmet telling you something's out there?"

"I do, and they're telling me that something has disturbed the jungle creatures. My guess is there's some pack of wild animals out there."

"You got anything to defend yourself with?"

"I'm without my blaster, but I have means to defend myself if we are attacked."

Hazel rolled her eyes at the cryptic answer. "That's good for you 'cause I have a feeling we aren't so safe up here. Probably best to get a move on."

"I wouldn't advise it. The pack is coming closer, and this is a better location to fight it off than in the thick treecover."

"We're asking to be attacked if we stay here. Now, any idea what sort of animals are in this 'pack' you're talking about?"

"No exact reading yet, but they are large, and many. My guess is they are the sort of creature you'd find native on a planet like this, somewhere like Kashyyyk."

As Osk spoke, Hazel began to hear sounds from the jungle below them. First the cawing of disturbed birds and then the trampling of many feet, though if they belonged to determined predator or frantic prey she couldn't make out. Animals were hardly her specialty.

Osk turned back to Hazel. "Even if running was the better option, it's no longer one available to us. I hope you're good with that lightsaber."

"Don't worry, I am," replied Hazel, though she didn't feel good about this.

Minutes later, the brush at the edge of the clearing parted and several gray-green reptilian beasts emerged. They were easily large enough for a person to ride on and their claws and teeth looked capable of doing a lot of damage. Low hissing escaped the mouths of some as more still tramped into the clearing.

"Osk...I don't think this is a good idea."

"Maybe we can make it into the trees," suggested Jace.

"No, these beasts are katarn," stated Osk. "They're climbers, and far better ones than we are."

"Fighting them on the ground doesn't sound too great either," said Hazel, her lightsaber tremoring in front of her.

Too late. The beasts charge, causing an ear-splitting bellow between them all. In her peripheral vision Hazel saw Jace go dashing off, driven by the wave of fear. He stumbled once but was back on his feet again and soon out of Hazel's sight. Next moment Osk went tearing after him.

Now Hazel was all alone in the clearing.

The next few minutes were a blur to Hazel in the frenzied melee between her and a dozen or more katarn beasts. Even her prowess was only just enough to keep her alive, and the effort was draining her strength relentlessly, while the katarn continued to surround her. She whipped around just as a heavy paw swiped towards her. The claws were caught on her lightsaber but the force of the blow knocked the weapon from her hand. The next beast Hazel flung to the ground with a Force push but she knew she couldn't do the same for all of them.

For once, Hazel really needed help right now.

She reached for her lightsaber but was forced to knock it further from her to avoid it being crushed under the weighty foot of a katarn. She turned to see two more bounding at her at once. More weight than she would be able to handle.

Then an amber light shone around her and a figure appeared, who must have come from the sky though Hazel didn't see it descend. Black fabric whirled about. There came the sound of a heavy smack and one of the beasts stumbled to the ground, a whoosh of air and the other was sent hurdling into several others.

There came a bellow, not auditory but carried directly through the Force, ringing all around Hazel but not directed at her.

 ** _LEAVE!_**

The golden glow intensified until its light was all Hazel could see. Then it faded, revealing a clearing now emptied of katarn. Empty completely, save for the solitary figure, cloaked and hooded in a sable robe, his familiar blue eyes fixed upon Hazel.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave any feedback; we'd love to hear it!

 **Hazel Bark** is an original character of **Caleb's Fanfiction Creations**. She can be found in his story _Crossroads_.

 **Jace Dallows** is an original character of **Kam I Am**. He makes an appearance in Kam's _Perks of Anarchy_.

 **Osk** is an original character of **Osetto**. He does not appear in any work published on this site.


	3. Chapter 3: The Guardian

**Chapter 3: The Guardian**

 _Earlier..._

As the sound of howls and swinging blades filled the area behind him, Osk propelled himself forward through the brush, batting away whatever flora intruded upon him as he sought his target. His considerable bulk moved with almost uncharacteristic speed, an unstoppable force once it began moving.

Ahead he could see the child moving with a measure of skill and grace, sidestepping and jumping over what lay before him.

"Who taught you that it was a good idea to separate yourself from the group you little squit!" Osk shouted as he maintained his pace. The boy offered no reply, rounding a tree and disappearing from view. "Damn it."

When Osk turned, he found himself standing in a puddle of mud, staring down the thicket of a wet forest. The boy was nowhere in sight. But the spacer's HUD said there was movement. The katarn couldn't have made it this far already, but a detachment did seem to be on their way. Just as Osk was about to release another soft curse, he looked up to see the boy hanging off the side of a thick tree, slowly making his way upward.

"The hell are you doing?" Osk called out, no shortness of breath despite his previous sprinting.

"Climbing," Jace quickly shot back.

"Yeah, I can see that," Osk grumbled. "Why? I already told you climbing is no good."

"It's better than being chased down. Maybe they won't find me up here" Jace shouted back.

The boy had just reached the upper branches of the sturdy tree, when one of the beasts made its presence known. Leaping over a nearby bush, the katarn spread its jaws wide as it surged toward the spacer standing on the ground. Osk sidestepped the charging beast, but only just so. The katarn slid across the muddy floor, claws finding little traction, until it slammed into the trunk of another tree. As the first beast recovered, another emerged from the shadowed depths. The second katarn slowly approached the masked spacer, cautious and deliberate in its movements.

Without a word, Osk shot a quick look to the boy in the tree, secure in his position. With that thought out of his head, he raised his gloved and plated fists.

Osk stared down the approaching beast. The two locked eyes, two primal stares, one concealed beneath a protective helm.

The second katarn charged, opening its toothy maw wide and hoping to chomp down on the unwavering spacer. Even as it was about to make contact, Osk stood his ground, raising his hands to grasp at the violent beast. One hand each gripping its jaw and snout, the bulky figure held the creature at bay. The katarn was unable to bit down, Osk's raw strength holding the beast's jaws in their open state. Even as its face was in its target's grasp, the katarn lashed out with its front claws, but was unable to land a hit on the adamant figure.

The creature pushed forward, and Osk began to slide back in the mud, but never gave up his footing. Just as he thought of how to deal with the beast in his mitts, the first katarn had recovered from its momentary incapacitation.

"Look out!" Jace shouted from the treetop.

Neither the warning nor Osk was quick enough to respond in time. The first katarn raised itself behind the spacer and raked its claws across his back. As the claws tore three gashes into the man's jacket, he released a harsh growl. In one quick motion, Osk pulled his hands apart, forcing the beast's jaw further and further from its skull until there was an audible snap. Its jaw and spine compromised, the spacer tossed the motionless beast aside, turning to face the one that had struck him.

The katarn raised itself on its hind legs again, readying another swipe of its claws, but Osk interrupted it. With an impassioned charge, he closed the gap placed a hand around the reptomammal's throat. He continued his forward movement, carrying the beast with him, until he had it pinned against a nearby tree truck. The spacer clenched his hand tighter and tighter as he pressed against the writhing katarn. The beast whipped its limps and tail about until its motions finally ceased.

With two of the beasts dealt with, Osk paused, only now taking a deep breath. But he'd not have a moment to relax.

"Osk!" the boy shouted.

Turning, the spacer saw a third katarn already half-way up the tree where the boy sat, claws digging into the bark. The creature growled and snapped its jaws at the shaking child, who offered his own kicks toward the beast's snout. The blows dealt little damage, and only provoked the katarn further. With another reach of its claws, the creature would be upon the child, but it did not receive that chance. The katarn made one final snap of its jaws before finding something tugging on its tail.

Osk wrapped both hands around the reptomammal's long tail and, with a mighty tug, removed the creature from the tree's side. The beast's claws ripped and tore at the splintering bark, but its tree-climbing skills were no match for the spacer's raw strength. In one deliberate swing, Osk had torn the beast from the side of the tree before slamming it into the trunk of another. A loud thud rang out as the katarn collided with the solid surface and slumped on the ground. Tightening his fist, the spacer delivered one final jab to the back of the beast's skull.

Osk stood amongst the three fallen beasts, shoulders rising and falling with his heavy breaths. He looked up to see Jace clutching at the branch beneath him, physically shaken.

"Get down. It's not safe here," Osk softly, but firmly declared.

"I don't know if I can get back down," Jace admitted.

Osk extended his arms. "Just drop, I'll catch you."

"What? I'm not doing that!"

"The alternative is I come up there and drag you down," Osk said, with an almost unsettling calm.

There was a pause as both remained quiet and motionless, but it was the boy who would concede. Carefully lowering himself, the child hung from the branch before letting go, falling into the waiting arms of the bulky figure below. In one swift motion, Osk caught him and set him upon his feet.

"Come on, we need to return to the others."

"Alright," Jace muttered. "I just... look out!"

Another katarn leaped from the nearby bushes, claws bared, maw stretched wide. This time, the warning proved sufficient. Unfortunately, Osk wasn't the target. In the split second before the beast was upon the boy, the spacer had to act.

Raising his left hand, Osk balled his fist and straightened his arm, pointing toward the charging beast. Suddenly, from the thick wristguard that surrounded his left gauntlet, a single dart shot out. The projectile soared for but a moment before digging into the katarn's neck. Almost instantaneously the beast collapse and slid around the muddy ground, where it would not get back up.

"Let's go," Osk said firmly as he took his first step back toward the clearing. He and the boy moved through the forest, following the trail they had previously blazed. A single path stretched before the pair where the spacer had stomped and charged his way through the dense flora, but now they covered it at a less desperate, albeit determined pace. For Osk had yet to discover what had become of the girl Hazel.

"Are you... are you okay?" Jace asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine, kid."

"Oh," Jace mumbled. "It's just that one of those things swiped at you and it sounded like it hurt..."

Osk released a low chuckle, turning his back to give the child a better view. "Nah, I just happen to really like this jacket."

"That was amazing what you did back there. You killed those things with your bare hands," Jace said with a childish fascination, almost rambling. "And... and that dart you shot out... what was that?"

"Hey, kid, let's keep this to ourselves, you know? I only got a limited number of these things, and I prefer not to let everyone know I've got them, in case things get dangerous again."

"Okay. But why keep it a secret from Hazel? She's a friend, right?"

"She's with us for now, but I don't trust her at all. If she managed to survive all those katarn, then we know she's good with that laser sword she carries around. I'll need every advantage I can get if she does something stupid."

They had just come in sight of the clearing and before Jace was able to respond, Osk held up his hand and a "shhhh" issued from his helmet. The clearing was empty of katarn, but Hazel was not alone. Someone else had joined her, someone who Osk did not like the look of. He determined to wait a while to watch and see what he could learn of this newcomer before making his presence known.

 **o0o**

Hazel was left speechless for a moment, unsure what her reaction should be or how best to address this figure. Getting a closer look at him, Hazel saw that he was indeed of human shape, with a thick dark cloak wrapped around him, concealing most of what was behind it. Hazel did catch the gleam of something metallic underneath it though, perhaps body armor of some kind. As always what drew her attention most was his eyes. There was just something about them that both unsettled and tantalized her. Hazel could now see that they were indeed human eyes, or very accurate replicas, and not quite the sapphire-like orbs that had haunted her dreams. All the same, haunting was an apt description for his aura.

"Who...who are you?" she finally managed to ask.

"I..." he began, stretching out a gloved hand, "am no one. I have no face... I have no name. You, however, have garnered my attention. Not many humans do anymore..."

"Wait, back up a minute here. What do you mean by 'you have garnered my attention'? What's so interesting about me that you've been following me around?"

"You have fire, young one... something I have not seen in such intensity since..." he drifted off again, this time longer than his usual pauses, "Since I had a name... a life, if you will."

The response only confused Hazel further. While she hadn't expected to fully understand this guy, all he seemed able to do was confound her further and didn't seem capable of giving helpful answers at all.

"So you're saying you don't have a name anymore? Or even a life? How is that possible?"

"By all means, I should have been dead centuries ago. Yet... I remain... unchanging... unending. For it is my duty to protect..."

"Protecting who?" said Hazel, blurting out the first of several questions that came to her mind after the figure's latest words.

"I protect the descendants of Skywalker."

"Then you haven't been doing a very good job of it. The name Skywalker died out decades before I was born. That family didn't last past Luke Skywalker. Unless you mean..." Hazel trailed off, making a connection. Her great-grandmother was Leia Solo who, now that Hazel thought of it, had been related to the Skywalkers. Hazel was a member of the Bark family through her father's side, but was descended from the Solos on her mother's. She was one of the few people alive who could claim relation to the Skywalkers and Solos.

She then noticed that the cloaked figure had cocked his head to the side, and had paused for even longer than before.

"So this is indeed not her," he muttered, and Hazel guessed the strange comment was not spoken to her. "Then I truly have crossed over more even than space and time."

"I don't get it," Hazel cut in. "So you don't even know who I am? Then who have you spent so long protecting, if not me and my ancestors? If you say it has been us, then I'll come right back and say you've been doing a terrible job of it, letting so many of us die like you have."

Hazel realized immediately that she had gone too far. While physically the figure's composure remained the same, the aura about him sharpened suddenly and Hazel could tell something she had said had angered or upset the ancient being. But she didn't regret her words. She was absolutely in the right to say them and so what if it bothered this guy? Most people probably would have probably reacted with fear at the gaze Hazel was receiving, and while it was something that could easily have paralyzed her, she was determined to retain her hard manner and show no sign of fear that could be used against her.

"You..." the figure finally began, before halting for yet another ominous pause, "are unwise to make such assumptions. I have crossed through dimensions to reach you here. In my time I watched over the Skywalker line for many centuries. Protecting it... preserving it. To them I was known as Guardian."

"I've already told you there are no Skywalkers left. I don't know what you mean by another dimension, but I'm pretty sure this Skywalker line you're talking about never actually existed."

The Guardian, as he seemed fond of titling himself, only sighed before turning to look at the edge of the clearing. "You will come to learn better in time, but now there are other matters to attend to. The bounty hunter and the young one have returned and I believe it is best we leave this place before more hunters pass through this place."

Osk stepped out from his hiding place behind the bushes. To Hazel he looked tense, likely unnerved at how easily he had been detected, but when he spoke he did not question Guardian's arrival, simply saying, "Maybe it's better we make camp up here. It's nearly dark and here we have a meal. I doubt any native beasts would come near a campfire."

"It is not only animals I am worried about," said Guardian, but he did not object further.

"So we're going to eat that?" said Jace, pointing over at one of the katarn Hazel had felled.

"It's the best source of food we're going to find out here," said Osk, approaching the beast. "Hazel, could I have your lightsaber for a second? It'll be easier to cut through the hide if I have a proper tool."

"You really think I'm going to hand over my weapon just like that? Fat chance."

"Why do you always insist on being difficult?" growled Osk. "We are all supposed to be on the same side here."

"Here Osk, you can use mine," Guardian offerred, pulling from beneath his cloak a lightsaber hilt of ebon design laced with gold or a similar metal.

As Osk, closely shadowed by Jace, began slicing into the katarn, Hazel was watching Guardian, who now stared out into the jungle. She couldn't tell at first if he had noticed something out there or was simply deep in thought. Then she heard a rustling and noticed another presence approaching. Another Force-sensitive. His entrance into the clearing was preceded by the blue glow of his lightsaber. When he did step out, Hazel saw that it was a young man, human, probably about her age. He was well built and clad in some sort of light Jedi robe.

"Hello," he said, after everyone had turned to look at him. "I'm Rahm Marek. Looks like this place is pretty inhabited."

"How did you manage to find us all?" asked Osk, getting straight to the point.

"The Force led me here," said Rahm matter-of-factly, only to be met with blank stares by most of the group. "My family says I have a special connection to the Force, that it speaks to me differently than most."

"Oh please," said Hazel, rolling her eyes, "none of that nonsense."

"But it's true," said Rahm, looking taken aback. "I can't speak to the Force Ghosts like my grandpa Anakin does, but they still lead me in a way."

Hazel looked to the others to see if anyone else had picked up on the name of Rahm's grandfather. Osk simply had his helmeted head resting in his palm, same as before, but Guardian was shaking his head slowly.

"What?" said Rahm. "My grandfather is Anakin Skywalker, The Hero With No Fear and Grandmaster of the Jedi Order. But it looks like you have already heard of him."

"I've heard the name," said Hazel, "but I don't remember hearing either of those titles attached to it before."

"Really? Hero With No Fear has been used all over the media, especially back when my parents were young, during the war with the Empire."

"And so matters are complicated further," muttered Guardian, his head now still, watching Rahm.

"I don't understand what is so confusing to all of you. All of what I'm saying is common knowledge. My parents are Galen and Leia Marek, you must have heard of them."

"Rahm, I'm afraid there is more to this than you realize," Guardian said slowly. "While the details behind it all are not clear, it seems each of us heralds from a different universe. The same galaxy it seems, but different timelines, if you will. How such a thing was attained is beyond my current knowledge, but it is not impossible and seems the only explanation tot this circumstance we find ourselves in."

Finally Guardian was speaking matter-of-factly, not avoiding real answers the way he always did. Apparently he felt this situation was more worth explaining than his own history.

"Well," said Osk, breaking the thoughtful silence had that reigned previously, "dinner's about ready. Rahm, if you want to join us there's plenty for all."

"Err...something to eat would be nice," Rahm said, though he grimaced at the sight of the roasted katarn haunch that Osk had prepared. "It seems I'll be joining your group anyways."

While Hazel agreed with Rahm's unspoken sentiment that the meal didn't look appetizing at all, she accepted it silently and dug in, appreciating the sustenance despite its odd, almost musty flavor. She did notice as she was eating that Guardian did not accept the food he was offered, saying something about no longer requiring such nourishment.

"So, where did all the katarn go, _specifically?_ " Osk asked Guardian as Hazel finished off her food.

"They have retreated, likely into the depths of this artificial world... I do not believe we will see them again for a while yet."

"That's not _specifics_. What do you mean retreated? You think that means they're dealt with? They could regroup. They could come back. They could... wait... artificial?"

"Yes... This world is false, everything here is too controlled, too _perfect_ to be natural."

"Really? Sure, there are some oddities, but perfect is hardly the word I would use for our location."

"You will see it soon..." said Guardian, before drifting off into silence again. If more conversation was had after that Hazel would never know, for after filling her stomach she felt the weight of her drowsiness crash down on her. She knew sleeping among strangers in a place already proven to be dangerous was not a good idea, but there was little she could do to stop it. Before long she had drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks for reading! Any and all feedback is appreciated!

 **Guardian** is a character written by **Talicor**. He can be found in her fics _Guardian_ and _Echoes_ , and also appears in **Caleb's** _Crossroads_ and _Sentinels_.

 **Rahm Marek** is an original character by **Candace Marie**. He does not currently appear in any published fics.


	4. Chapter 4: A Dysfunctional Team

**Chapter 4: A Dysfunctional Team**

Osk and Guardian were the last ones awake. Hazel and Rahm had both laid down where they sat and were quickly given over to sleep, while Jace soon climbed atop a small boulder and now slumbered there.

"I take it the five of us will all be travelling together," said Osk, breaking the wordless vigil.

"It is always wise to remain together in situations such as this," said Guardian. "Especially when our companions are so young. What do you say on the matter? I realize we hardly know each other at all, and I may be overstepping my bounds."

Osk released a low chuckle. "So what, if I considered leaving a few of them behind you'd consider it?" Guardian's head dipped and he remained silent, though his glowing eyes sharpened as they remained affixed on Osk. "Relax, I'd never suggest such a thing. I don't mind none. Before all this nonsense, protecting people was kind of my business."

Guardian folded his arms and cocked his head slightly left. "Go on."

"Honestly, I thought we were in the same business when I first saw you and heard the way you talked. You know what a bounty hunter is, right? People pay you a lot of credits, and you go and hunt down your target. Well, it turns out people were willing to pay even more to not get hunted down. So I became an anti-hunter. Personal security. Bodyguard. Mercenary protector. That sort of thing."

"An odd endeavor... saving lives for monetary compensation."

Osk's head and shoulders dipped as he slightly slid down the tree he leaned against. "Far better than what I was doing before," he muttered, voice sounding cold and hollow even to his own ears. "Some things just aren't worth doing, no matter the reward..." Osk cut himself off. Some things were not ready yet to be said, even on a night such as this.

"I understand completely," Guardian said softly. "I too have done things I would rather forget... It is part of the reason I am what I am currently."

"I assume you're speaking physically... or mentally? What exactly are you? I've seen my fair share of long-lived species and cyborgs... but you..."

"Are something else entirely, unknown to you? Once, I was a man. I had a wife... children even. But I made terrible mistakes... and they all paid for it. As my son lay dying in my arms, I made a promise to him. That I would ensure _no one_ in his family would ever make such grievous errs as I. After that... I sold my soul, transcending time through technology and the Force. I am nothing natural... but as false as this world around us now..."

"I know better than to try understanding something so far beyond my level. But I can empathize, strange as it may seem. We're two sides of the same coin. You lost far more than you should have. As for me... I _took_ far more than I should have."

Osk paused and lifted his gaze to stare into the cloaked figure's almost dulled eyes, all that could yet be seen beneath the veil that he wore.

"But if you're no longer who you used to be... why bother hiding your face?"

Guardian's hand rose slowly up to the silk covering his features. "It is because it _reminds_ me of who I used to be... of the sins I have committed under my previous names... during my natural years. Why is it that you also wear a mask?"

"I tell myself it's because it's easier to get contracts with the Empire when everyone just assumes you're human... But I guess another part of me does because it means I don't have to be a person. I'm just a bundle of gear with an assumed name. I could die tomorrow, and someone else could put on my helmet and become the new 'Osk'. If the man I was before is dead and gone, I don't have to worry about the mistakes he made..."

Gripping at the bottom of his helm, Osk began unfastening the all-encompassing gear from the attached bodysuit. There was a quick whistle of air as the seal was broken. Slowly, he pulled the smooth, domed helm up and over his head. The underlying bodysuit ended at the neck, granting sight to his face for those perceptive enough to piece the night's shadows.

Holding the helmet in front of him, Osk kept his head dipped, his own eyes looking upon the face now revealed to Guardian. The man's skin was tanned, and roughened by decades of a harsh life. He was bald of head, instead possessing a crown of horns that sprouted from the top of his skull, ground down to be little more than flat stumps. Upon his face, a series of dark lines stretches and crossed in linear tattoos, a sign of the spacer's Zabrak heritage.

"But no matter what I do, no matter what aliases I take, no matter what changes I make... I can't change the past."

Slightly lifting his gaze, Osk looked up to see the cloaked figure clutching at his mask, about to remove the piece of cloth. Sure enough, Guardian began to slowly undo the wrap that concealed his features. The cowl fell back to reveal wavy blond hair, in every way resembling that of a human. The rest of the fabric pulled away to reveal his face, a face that by all means appeared perfect... _too_ perfect for Osk's liking.

"I understand, Osk..." Guardian's eyes glittered for a moment. "And like you... I figured I could hide... drop the names that caused me to me feared by the galaxy. I did not wish to be recalled as a martyr, nor as a murderer... General Skywalker... or Lord Vader. I simply wished to _escape_. And so... I became Guardian."

Osk's eyes went wide. "Wait... _the_ Vader? Like Supreme Commander of a whole damned Imperial Armed Forces... _that_ Vader?"

"So that is the form you are most familiar with," Guardian said after a short pause. "I understand if... that means you no longer wish to associate with me..."

Osk released one his trademark chuckles. "Why would I want that? You're a freakin' legend. You don't know how many posters I've seen with your face on it, well, your mask... you know the one, right? Hell, I think you might have been the one signing my contracts back when I... back when..."

Osk trailed off, growing increasingly solemn with each syllable.

"Then you knew me in Vader's earlier days... knew the public image. Even at that point, I had done far too many things worthy of regret. Worthy of forgetting."

"So... you're the Vader I know... only more," Osk muttered. "And now you go by 'Guardian'?"

"Correct."

Osk narrowed his gaze toward the unveiled figure, cracking a subtle smirk. "We might just make it out of this..."

Guardian affixed his gaze on Osk one more time before taking a step back, then another, slowly becoming one with the darkness until he had faded completely from sight.

"Just think," Osk mumbled as he braced himself against the tree. "Together, we can..."

He trailed off as he noticed he was alone. Quickly turning upon his heels, he searched the immediate area, only to find Guardian nowhere in sight. The spacer was about to release a harsh curse, before it was overtaken by a low sigh.

"You'd better have a good explanation for running off like that," Osk muttered. Holding his helm under his left arm, he stared back toward the campsite, where the others remained locked in their slumber beside the fire. Minutes passed. Osk popped the last piece of cooked meat into his mouth and reaffirmed his grip on his helmet and slipped it back over his head. It would be a long night of keeping watch over the campsite until Guardian fancied to return from wherever he had disappeared to.

o0o

Hazel awoke with a start. She had been dreaming again, this time reliving the battle of Tandor once more. There had been a slight change though; Guardian had been there, holding her back, preventing her from leaping into the fire-strewn field of battle that had just claimed her father's life.

Hazel looked around the campsite. It was still dark, though closer to dawn than midnight from what she could tell. Jace and Rahm were fast asleep by the faintly glowing embers of the fire, while Osk lay a few meters further. Guardian sat awake a meter or so away from Osk, staring out into the distance. Then he stood up, his mass an even darker silhouette against the starlit surroundings.

"We should talk," he said, quietly yet with a tone of command.

"Urrgh...fine," said Hazel, hauling herself up from the lumpy ground.

Guardian began striding away, out towards the jungle. "This is not a conversation that should be overheard."

"Whatever you want," said Hazel, though Guardian's mood was a little concerning. What did he want to talk to her about anyways?

"You have had dreams... Visions..." He remarked, his eyes shining from the shadows cast by looming jungle trees. "They trouble you."

Hazel, who had only really been half focused on the conversation before suddenly went alert. "How did you know that? Have you been poking around in my brain or something?"

"Bridges allow movement over both sides. You and I are connected in manners only the Force could explain. I am here because of you."

Hazel rolled her eyes at this typical Guardian answer. It helped a little bit to distract from her concern at how creepy he was being. "Okay... could you explain a little better? Or is that useless answer all I'm gonna get from you?"

"You are a Skywalker. It is my duty to protect the descendants of Skywalker. The Force brought me here, feeding from your duress."

"But I'm _not_ a Skywalker, I'm a Bark-ohhhh. Right. I'm related to them, which I guess is enough for you. Why does it matter though? The Force may have called you here, but I didn't." That last statement wasn't entirely true Hazel realized, thinking back to the katarn attack, but she stuck with it anyways. All she had wanted at the time was help against the beasts, not a permanent bodyguard. "I don't need your protection."

"I have lived many lifetimes, and seen it all," Guardian dismissed, folding his arms. "I am here to aid in any way I can. Even if it goes so far as rending this fake world asunder."

"So what you're saying is that you'll stick around whether I want you or not?"

"Basically, yes. You will come to understand in time."

"I don't know that I'll be giving you enough time to make me understand."

"That would be..." The ancient paused, working his fingers, continuing to hold her gaze. "Ill-advised."

"From your perspective, of course. But this conversation is getting us nowhere. If you have something important to say I'm all ears, if not I'm going back to bed."

Hazel half turned to the campsite, but moved slowly enough to give Guardian plenty of time to speak, even allowing for his habit of taking long pauses. It worked. He shook his head and muttered something along the lines of "Typical child" before redirecting the conversation.

"I have found tunnels, from which the beasts emerged. I believe they would be our best option of travel, come the morrow."

"Tunnels? Weird thing to find in a place like this," Hazel remarked, wrenching her mind from its defensive state to one of concentration on what Guardian had revealed. "Wait, how do you know about these? You haven't been out of my sight since you first appeared here."

"Or have I? The Force grants many abilities, with the right discipline. But yes. There are tunnels, not far from the lake."

"Okay, be like that. So anyways, you're saying there's tunnels...by a lake. How far away from us?"

"About four kilometers by foot. Two by the path the crow flies."

"That's not so bad. So you think we should travel by these tunnels? Any idea what's inside them or where they lead?"

"I believe more will become clear upon their exploration." Guardian replied in rippling tones. "But I know that is from whence the creatures came."

"Well, it's probably stupid to go walking right into the place those katarn came from, but alright, I'll do it." _It'll be easier to get away from him in there then out here, if it comes to that_ , Hazel added to herself. "But I do think you should check it out a little more. I doubt Osk will be as willing as I am to go through them."

"Perhaps," the emotionless specter almost shrugged. "Perhaps not, little one..." And with that, he melted from view, darkness slipping into darkness.

"When I asked for you to go, I didn't mean like that," muttered Hazel as she stomped back to camp. This conversation, short as it has been, had given her a lot to think about.

 _Well,_ she thought, staring up into the predawn sky, _sleep's not going to be happening anymore tonight._

There were a great many decisions to make before that sun rose and the camp woke up. And a course of action to plan out.

o0o

"Osk, wake up. I need to talk to you."

It was the unwelcome sound of Hazel's voice that pulled the spacer out of his slumber. Through his visor the first light of the sun was seen poking up through the jungle canopy. It was late, later than he wanted, but not surprising, considering he had stayed up half the night while the one who called himself Guardian gallivanted through the forest.

"Ready to move out?" he asked the bothersome girl.

"No, Guardian's out exploring again, and Rahm and Jace are still sleeping. I just want to talk to you alone while I have a chance."

"Okay."

Osk followed Hazel a ways beyond the treeline, but keeping well within the range of his HUD, in case anything tried to get at those who still slept in the clearing. She stopped suddenly and turned to him, her eyes bold and her jaw set.

"I want to ditch Guardian as soon as we can," Hazel said, getting straight to the point.

"Why do you want to split the group up already?"

"I don't trust Guardian. He has some weird obsession with me just because of who I'm related to, and he said to my face that he wouldn't leave even if I demanded him to. He also said something about tearing the world asunder if he had to."

"Huh," said Osk, rubbing the back of his helmet. "He isn't normal, that's for sure, but there are things about him you don't know. Don't make any stupid decisions on a whim, it might get you killed."

"Oh, believe me, I've thought this through—but wait, what was that about things I don't know? What do you know that I don't?"

"You'll have to ask Guardian that," said Osk, shrugging off the question. He had indeed spoken with and learned more of Guardian that night, before the ancient decided to up and disappear without warning, but that talk had been in confidentiality. He had no intention of talking to anyone else about what had been revealed that night, to Hazel least of all.

"Fine, be that way," Hazel snipped back. "What I really need to know is who you'd side with if Guardian and I split up."

"That all depends on the situation. If you want my advice, don't cross him. He's very powerful, much more than you realize."

"Oh I know he's powerful, but he doesn't scare me."

"If he doesn't scare you why are you so eager to leave him, eh?"

"Because he's dangerous to be around. I'm not scared of him, I just don't want to be around if he does something crazy. Sometimes it's the real stoic ones that go the craziest when the fly off the handle."

"Yeah, he's unpredictable, but he's still an asset. For one thing, he knows more about this place than anybody else."

"About that, what if he's a spy of some kind?"

"Nah, I don't think so," said Osk. "Now you're just grasping at straws to try and get me to leave him."

"Whatever. But back to the point, will you stick with me is Guardian goes crazy or betrays us or anything like that."

"I'll do whatever is best for me and the youngling. You and the other kid will have to decide whether to stick with me or go running off on your own."

"Why are you bringing Rahm into this? He's not with me."

"I know that," said Osk, beginning to get exasperated though his body language didn't show it. "I only mentioned him too because I don't feel any more obligation to him than I do you."

"So I'm not going to get a better answer out of you? Just that I have to wait and see?"

"I'm not going to give you false expectations, so that's all I can give you for now." Osk tapped his helmet. His sensors had gone blank. This place was interfering with his tech again.

"What's wrong?"

"Sensors are gone. We should get back to camp."

It did not take long to reenter the clearing, but it was long enough. As soon as they emerged from the jungle, the two were met by a flustered Rahm.

"Oh good, there are you are. I woke up and everyone was gone."

"Oh," said Hazel, "we were out talking, and Guardian's still exploring I think. But Jace is still in camp."

"No he's not," insisted Rahm, gesturing to the empty stretch of patchy grass that surrounded the ashes of the campfire.

"Then where did he go?"

"How should I know?" said Rahm, throwing his hands up in the air, "You were the ones supposed to be guardian the camp. I was still asleep."

"Damn kid," muttered Osk. "He can't have gotten far," he said, raising his voice and addressing the two teenagers. "We'll have to split up and look for him. But whatever you do, make sure you can find your way back here. We don't need anyone else getting lost out here."

o0o

 **Earlier that morning...**

It was with visions of flame and cries of despair that Jace stirred awake. A pained groan emitted from his lips, somewhere during the night his sleeping form had managed to bend over backwards across the boulder that he had chosen to inhabit. Slumping off it's side and toward the dewy grounds beneath, he squinted upwards. The clouds remained darkened, but light was threatening to pour through at any moment. Dawn was almost upon the group.

Shifting his gaze left and right he found the clearing empty of any waking beings. There was a snoozing form or two that he could see, and he figured the others were just out of his line of sight, or obscured in the darkness. The stillness of the scene suddenly erupted into a rustling of leaves in the woods nearby.

His first instinct was to alert Osk, but the masked being was nowhere to be seen. In fact, the only person remaining in the clearing was the snoring Rahm, whom he didn't know very well. He shrugged off the notion of getting help, deciding he'd rather face any threat alone than wake a sleeping "Force-user". He was still struggling to come to terms with the Force, even after all the talk that had been had about it the night before.

The rustling just outside the encirclement of trees began to intensify, growing louder until a face appeared visible through the branches. The young boy's eyes scoured over the spot in an attempt to decipher the appearance.

"Wait… Dad?" Jace found himself whispering through the darkness.

The elder man – garbed in an alcohol-stained tee and leather pants – took in the appearance of his younger counterpart.

"You have my flight jacket," Rhys Dallows finally noted in a hushed whisper.

"Uh… Yeah. Yeah, I do," Jace offered in reply, confused beyond belief that his father would open their conversation on that note.

"Where we're going you'll need it more than I anyways," the older man mused.

"What? Where are we going?"

There was another pause between the duo, his father remaining strangely silent here.

"I'll tell you on the way, now come here before you wake somebody up," Rhys stated as he gestured to the sleeping form of Rahm Marek. A mixture of sleep and shock at the arrival of his father caused the otherwise rather disobedient son to obey.

As Jace's sleep drenched body closed the distance between he and his father, a parade of questions still bounced around in his head. Where had his dad come from? How? Where were they going?

The last question weighed annoyingly on his conscious. With every step further along his trudge into the woods alone with his father, Jace became increasingly aware that what he was doing was not at all right.

"Dad… I don't think we should have left the group. I mean, before you got here they were the ones helping me out, I feel like they should come with us… Wherever it is we're going."

"No Jace, they're the reason you were brought here in the first place," Rhys answered in response, using a tone far harsher than what his son had been accustomed to.

"What?"

"Yeah," Rhys continued as he helped his son over a particularly slick pair of rocks, "this whole thing has been one big Holonet reality show stunt.

"That's crazy! Why would they do that to me?" The boy asked while attempting to make sense of it himself. "… Dad?"

No response came from his father. The blond haired adult was too preoccupied gazing into the pool of clear blue that sat before the family of two. It was a stream of water, one that attached to a larger lake farther across the expanse of land.

"We need to get closer to the water," Rhys finally decided and gestured for his son to approach the pool.

"Uh… Okay," Jace finally agreed, following his father.

The two came to a stop right at the edge of the lake's surface. Silence once again greeted the pair, but it would not last.

"So… Did you bring me here for any partic-"

Jace broke off mid-sentence, as the adult's hand – unfeasibly cool and metallic to the touch – wrapped around his throat. Air refused to enter his wind pipe, oxygen impossible to obtain as his father thrusted him below the water's surface.

Feeling the cool marshy breeze whip his face again, Jace spluttered out coughs and protests.

"Dad! Why are you doing this, I, I-"

 _Can't breath._

Jace's entire head was shoved below the water again. Lungs were begging for air, but were greeted only with more fluidly intakes. There was a struggle between father and son. Despite Jace's balled up fists banging against his father's face, cold, calloused hands had again grabbed him roughly around the collar, forcing his feeble body completely into the vast depths of the lake water.

He didn't know how to swim.

The boy found himself slipping away, farther and farther below, confusion and hurt filling what ability he had left to comprehend.

With pockets of air blistering to the water's surface, his time had ultimately come to an end.

o0o

A shadowed being crossed his upper appendages, seemingly satisfied with the result. A series of bug-like clicks were uttered, its servant droid turning towards it in an attempt to comprehend its request.

Language servos were geared and activated, slowly putting sense to its master's words. With enlightenment achieved the machine again gazed up at its master, shock painted throughout its eyes. A nod was given in response, confirming the order.

And so the droid obeyed, issuing the commands of death with the knowing hands of a god.

o.o.o.o

The human replica droid stood near the bank of the waters. It's victim's corpse lay floating face down in the waters below, the last signs of his life vanishing with the final popping of bubbles. The mechanical imposter removed its gaze from the sight. Having the memory chip of Rhys Dallows implanted within itself that made it naturally sympathetic to such tragic events, even if it were the one to have committed the act.

All at once it began. The waters began to rise, higher and higher still, first leveling off near the sand's surface but quickly bubbling over and climbing above, sweeping against the roots of nearby trees. A monster flood was building in size and strength, its source a turbine beneath the lake, surging more and more water ever upwards; gathering up a flood with would plow through anything that stood in its way, whether rock, tree, or the unsuspecting humanoids that searched in vain for their lost companion.


	5. Chapter 5: The Flood

**Chapter 5: The Flood**

Water.

At first, the ancient had assumed it to be merely tidal movements, normal fluctuations of the lake... But no, this water was churning and dark, reaching _far_ beyond its natural boundaries as the trees themselves began to be swallowed up, water tearing at their grip on the soil.

 _Not good. Not good at all._

Sucked into the night, Guardian had continued to patrol the border of the clearing, extending his watch further, trying to achieve more geographical information in the meantime.

Liquid slogging around his boots, the sentinel wasted no time in slipping into the shadows.

He called it Walking the Rift.

Stepping from the physical world to the webbing of the Force, Guardian dashed across the sparkling energy, following the threads to the group he had watched over for a majority of the night.

Something was amiss though.

 _Where is the boy?_

Though he had little contact with the youngest of the group, he could not mistake the hole left behind at his disappearance... Something was terribly, terribly wrong.

He could _feel_ it... The way the Force shivered with dread at his call.

Burning through the remaining shadows about the camp, Guardian emerged into the clearing, once more on the physical plane. All three remaining members of the group stood awake, in frantic discussion. They too had noticed the absence of the boy.

As Osk finished carrying out orders, Hazel turned, having noticed the returning presence of the ancient.

"Good timing," she acknowledged. "We were just about to go searching for Jace. He's disappeared, but I'm sure you already know that."

"There is no need to search," Guardian informed the others solemnly. "He is already dead."

All three spoke at once, Hazel questioning how he knew of this, Rahm insisting that he would have sensed it as well, and Osk beginning to rail at him for allowing this to happen.

"Enough," Guardian said, lifting a hand. All three halted mid-sentence, in obedience to the command. "There are more urgent matters at hand, and you are all in danger."

"Why, what's going on?" said Hazel.

In answer to the girl's question, water began trickling into the clearing. First it merely soaked into the ground. Then came a great wave, washing so far as to ripple around the ancient's feet and dampen the hem of his cloak.

"Water?" Osk muttered in disbelief, watching as another current came to wash around his own boots.

"The lake is rising," Guardian declared. "Soon it will overtake this land and you with it."

"Lakes don't work that way," Osk grumbled.

"Nothing is normal about this place," Guardian turned and took a step toward the source of the rushing waters. "Come with me, I know a place where we can find safety."

"Whoa, wait a minute," Hazel protested. "If this place is flooding, shouldn't we be going the _other_ way? _Away_ from the water?"

"Remember what I spoke to you of," the ancient told Hazel. Then addressing the whole group he said, "There are tunnels underground where we may find sanctuary. They are by the lake so we must walk against the current to reach them."

Osk sighed while Hazel and Rahm exchanged a glance, but it was clear to all that with hesitation came folly. Together, the four pressed through the forest toward the mysterious tunnels, toward the source of the rising waters, even as kilometers separated them from their goal.

o0o

Osk stomped coldly behind Guardian, the rushing current so far offering little resistance to the spacer's sturdy legs. With Guardian no longer speaking in that enchanting way of his, Osk's thoughts strayed back to Jace. Now he was able to process the news of the boy's death that had come so suddenly.

"Where did you go last night?" he growled, now striding side by side with the cloaked being. "You should have been there. You should have been watching him. _Guarding_ him. He could still be alive... he could..."

"I am sorry, Osk," Guardian said, though he continued to keep his gaze fixed straight ahead. "I was patrolling beyond the perimeter of our camp. My only intention... was to keep you all safe. Unfortunately, I cannot be in more places than one..."

"You didn't have to be!" Osk barked, clenching his hand tighter. "We already knew the way out… we already knew the katarn were dealt with. You didn't have to leave… all you had to do was wait and watch, and this never would have happened. He's dead because of you!"

"He is dead... because of the people who put you here. They are the ones to blame... for all of this."

"Then we are going to find whoever is responsible for this," Osk said in a cold, toneless voice. "And we're killing them. And _you_ are going to help me do it."

"That was always my intention," said Guardian, as he slowed his pace in order to fall behind the spacer. Leaving Osk to his own thoughts of vengeance and despair.

o0o

The further the group progressed, the more the water tore at them. Eroding their strength... wearing away at their will.

Even Guardian's grace was not enough to counteract the growing waves, and he too stumbled slightly.

A little ways back, he sensed the younger pair nearly overcome by despair, their determination to continue draining away.

But Guardian did not fear. For presently the trees opened up, revealing the vast expanse of the swollen lake. Finally they had escaped the jungle and the destination was near. Not far away, water spurted up from below the surface, creating a geyser that would hang for but a moment before crashing down and creating yet more waves, a process which repeated itself infinitely.

Guardian came to a stop, followed immediately by the others. "The ground level only drops from here. The hatches that open up into the tunnels are but a little further in."

"How do we get to them?" Rahm asked. "Swim?"

"And then what?" said Osk. "I'm guessing the tunnels are sealed, so even if we make an opening, won't they be immediately flooded too?"

"I can open the hatches and reseal them behind us," Guardian explained. "All I need is the Force."

Without another word, Guardian lifted his hands so they came to peek above the waterline. The air began to hum with his power as invisible waves emanated from him, counteracting those of the lake. Slowly, the water began to flow and part around him and the other three who stood close by. Around them the tide was lowering, as Guardian pushed back against the waves, preventing them from refilling the pocket of land he occupied. The ancient stretched out his hand, parting the waves before him as he began moving forward once more.

"Why didn't he just do that in the first place?" muttered Hazel, only to be shushed by Rahm.

"It's taking huge amounts of concentration and energy to do something like that," the boy explained in a whisper, his awe at the spectacle apparent in his voice. "No way anyone could have kept it up the whole way."

They remained silent after that as they traversed down the slick surface of mud and crushed grass that now lay exposed in their path. As they moved down the decline of the hill, soon the waves outside of Guardian's influence rose to a level above their heads. One falter in his concentration and it would all come crashing down upon them.

Still nothing but mud and grass was revealed.

Then Osk spoke. "Right below us. There's a cavity of some sort. I think it's the tunnels he's looking for."

"I only see grass..." said Hazel. "Oh, of course! It's probably hidden under the topsoil."

"Yes," said Guardian, one word being all he could manage at the moment.

Hazel bent down and held her hands over the ground in front of her. Guardian felt the manipulation of the Force even as the mud parted, revealing metal paneling. With a creak that too was pulled open. Beyond was a metallic shaft, square in dimension and great enough in size to allow beasts as large as the katarn to move through. Large enough also for humanoids to stand up in.

"Go," directed Guardian, his whole form tremoring with the energy expended on keeping the water at bay.

Hazel was the first to leap in, followed quickly by Rahm. Osk remained still and did not follow the others, even after Hazel called up to him. Guardian remained focused on his task, unable to turn his eyes or his attention to the hesitant spacer.

Then Osk moved, but not toward the tunnel entrance. Before Guardian was able to react, he felt his lightsaber tugged away from his belt.

"What are you doing?" the ancient shouted, his voice combatting the roaring of the waves.

"You've abandoned us far too many times. I won't let your absence endanger this group again. I can protect these kids, all I need is a weapon."

"I can't let you have it, Osk! This isn't the way to-"

A stream of water slipped past Guardian's control. Sweeping along the ground, the wave knocked Osk to the ground before thrusting him back into the surging waters. With one break the entire wall collapsed, pouring down upon Guardian. He made a sweeping motion with his hand, utilizing raw energy over finesse. The hatch sprung out of its recess and slipped back into place over the tunnel. Then the waters hit him, crushing him and sending him tumbling back with the current.

The world spinning in water and confusion, the ancient barely managed to snatch the spacer by the wrist, iron grip managing to keep his counterpart from getting sucked away.

Boots sliding along the slick bottom of the lake, his grip remained firm until the water suddenly ceased, leaving them both in a sort of strange limbo, water replacing the air once around them.

Eyes shining, he pulled the spacer to his feet, the both of them standing at the lake bottom, facing each other.

 _'Can you hear me?'_ Guardian speaks through the Force, directly into the Zabrak's mind, voice eternally soft and calm.

 _'_ _Yeah.'_

At the muffled reply, Guardian's eyes flared an icy blue, meeting the spacer's gaze,

 _'We have been separated from the younglings'_ he stated, motioning to the warped area of grass. ' _We will not be able to reopen that particular tunnel... I know where others are though.'_

 _'_ _Oh, so_ now _you're worried about leaving the group? Fine. Lead the way.'_

Wasting no time, the dark specter summoned another, smaller, pocket of air about them, and with delicate movements, eased open another tunnel.

"If you would, Osk," Guardian motioned with a gloved hand, "And do try to be a little faster this time."

"It wasn't my _speed_ that was the issue," Osk muttered, once more able to use his helmet's speakers. As he stood, he received only the cloaked figure's enduring gaze. "Do you really think I'd try the same thing twice?"

"I'd be a fool to dismiss the possibility."

"Alright, let's do this," Osk said as he lowered himself into the pitch darkness below. He seemed unwilling to simply leap into the unknown, as the younger pair had done, and instead descended slowly and deliberately. Soon he was completely enveloped in shadow.

Deeming that Osk was far enough down to allow suitable passage, Guardian followed the spacer into the darkness, keeping one hand raised to ward off the water until the hatch sealed above him.

The two were now in complete blackness.

"You know," said Osk as they moved further into the depths of this mysterious world, "for having a name like 'Guardian', you sure aren't very good at protecting things."

"I do not see how you could have done any better."

"It's _your_ job to protect people, not mine, not anymore," Osk growled. "That's not even taking into account your apparently huge powers. Everything I've done here, _I've_ done. I didn't have some fancy source of power doing all the work for me..."

"It is not merely a power source. It is life itself... flowing through all living things. Without it, even you would not exist."

"It's still a source of something. Don't act like you don't think you're special 'cause of it. One of the first things out of your mouth was how you were summoned by this Force, how the Force kept you alive for so long. Without your Force, what would you be? I ain't got anything like that. You take away my blaster and I'm still me. Take away my helmet, I'm still me." The spacer paused in his rant. "That much I know is true."

Guardian spoke no more. Any further argument at this time would be pointless. Instead he fixated his attention on a crimson glow that emanated from somewhere further down the hall. A little further and the light was revealed to be coming from an energy field that restricted passage further down the tunnel. It shone harsh and red, yet translucent enough to grant sight to the area beyond, where the tunnel veered to the right. Leading further away from where Guardian dimly sensed the presences of Rahm and Hazel.

"This is... rather unfortunate," the ancient said. "For even if the shield comes down, this path leads away from the children. Regrouping with them will be a more difficult task than anticipated."

"Huh..." said Osk as he scanned the surroundings. "Couldn't we just cut through the walls with your lightsaber or something?"

Guardian's head dipped. "The wall dividing us from the others is much too thick. Even were I to plunge the blade of my saber, it would not even make it half way through."

"Then what can we do now?"

"We must find a way around. I do not doubt these tunnels cross paths somewhere. If need be, and they come to danger, I can Walk the Rift to reach them."

"Because no one _ever_ gets hurt when you decide to do _that_ ,"

So it seemed the spacer had yet to get over his bitterness at the loss of the youngling. It would take more than apologies to reach him.

"At least I do what I can, which is more than what you have to offer."

Those words were all it took. Osk clenched his fists and eyed his prey for a moment before leaping forward. He closed the gap between them in an instant and Guardian felt all of the Zabrak's weight slam against him, knocking him against the wall behind. Despite this sudden attack, Guardian remained utterly calm... waiting out the storm.

"What I have to offer?" Osk barked. "I have done _everything_ in my power to help this group ever since I woke up in this damned place! I saved Jace's life during the katarn attack! I killed those beasts with my bare hands to protect him! Meanwhile, you see fit to disappear whenever you damned well please! I don't care who you are, who you used to be... I WILL NOT be talked down to by the likes of you!"

"You know... Once, I was like you. I had... _fire_. You have a strong heart, Osk... and that only proves my theory of this place."

"Your theory?" Osk growled, giving Guardian's shoulders a firm shake. "Stop trying to find purpose in all this! Stop trying think this is all happening for a reason! The 'why' of it all doesn't matter when a kid winds up getting killed! You could have saved him…"

"You could have as well," Guardian retaliated, unfazed by the man gripping his shoulders. "Why did you not stand watch? Could you not have remained in camp and made sure no harm came to the youngling? Do you not blame yourself for his death?"

"No, I don't."

"And why not? You said it yourself that protecting people was your business. Was it because you weren't getting paid to watch over the boy's life?"

"It's because I expected you to be keeping track of him, watching from wherever you were. Like I said, the difference between you and me is expectations. People expect a hell of a lot more out of you than they do me, and for good reason. I did what I could with what I had. Can you say the same? Can you say that the unliving, unwavering, unstoppable champion couldn't stop one kid from slipping away? Or is it because he isn't covered by your 'vow.' He isn't a Skywalker or whatever, so you could not honestly care less if he died."

"I believed you were watching over him... that you would keep him from harm. Obviously I was mistaken."

"Yeah… that seems to be a running theme with you," Osk grumbled, clenching his fists around Guaridan's cowl.

"And you've lived a perfect life? You just decided to discard your past, to hide your face, to seek redemption for… nothing? Nothing at all?"

"You… _do not_ … want to go down that road," Osk growled. "I don't care who you are or who you were… I don't care if you can use the Force… I will not hesitate to take you down…"

"It's not a question of whether you are willing, but whether you are able. You may be strong, but I am beyond strength. You do not want to go down _that_ road."

"I've dealt with your kind before. I wasn't impressed."

"You've dealt with nothing," Guardian dismissed. "Those 'Jedi' you killed in your past life? Weak. Of too little significance to warrant the full attention of the Emperor or even Vader. The purge had already dealt with vast majority of the Order. Your targets? The Emperor considered them clean-up. Assurance. You hunted down stragglers… children… and delivered them to their deaths…"

There was a pause as silence overtook the holding cell. Osk, it seemed, had been dumbfounded by his elder's perception. His head dipped and his hands loosened around Guardian's cowl. The ancient prepared to offer his next words, but was interrupted by an unexpected blow as a balled fist collided with his cheek.

In a flash, Osk had pulled back and released his gloved hand, raking his knuckles across Guardian's face. The loud thud that followed echoed through the chamber before it returned once more to silence. Guardian's stance remained rigid, his only movement being the turning of his head to follow the motion of the punch.

He could hear the spacer's frantic breathing, his increased heart rate. Still they locked eyes, unwilling to divert attention to anything else.

As Osk wound his arm back, readying another punch, Guardian interceded. Raising a leg between himself and his attacker, he sent his boot colliding with the spacer's gut, sending him flying backward. After the mere moment of soaring through the air, Osk collided with the opposite wall of the cell with a loud thud. From there, he slid and slumped down, sitting upon the floor with his head dipped.

"Now, if you've gotten that out of your system..." Guardian began, unaffected even by the blows that had struck him. Before continuing his speech however, he heard a faint mumbling emerged from the crumpled spacer. "Osk?"

"Ni…"

Guardian took a step toward the fallen Zabrak.

"Ni… dar… cuyi…"

The mutterings made no sense to Guardian, who took another step forward.

"Ni dar'cuyi…" Osk repeated, with an increased haste.

As he bent over to investigate the crumpled spacer, Guardian's eyes went wide as Osk launched himself from the floor, throwing his shoulder into the cloaked figure's gut. The bulky Zabrak managed to carry his target backward, slamming him now into the opposite wall. Pinning Guardian against the solid surface, Osk began delivering blow after blow to the sturdy frame.

Regaining his stoic resolve, Guardian sent his knee upward, crashing into the spacer's helm. Osk staggered back, disoriented but showing no signs of pain. A thin crack stretched upon and down the front of his smooth facemask, but he showed no signs of relenting. Launching himself forward yet again, Osk's feet left the ground the moment before he delivered another fist to Guardian's veiled face.

Osk picked himself off the ground following his sloppy attack and charged yet again. This barrage had gone on long enough for Guardian, and this time he reacted with force. He was smaller in figure, though only a little, and was the far stronger of the pair. Osk was flung back from him and slammed not against a wall, but the energy barrier that denied access deeper into the hall.

The Zabrak released a primal howl as the red light singed and stung his backside, reducing the already torn back of his jacket to tatters. Taking a step back, Guardian watched Osk fall to his knees, gasping for air.

"Are you done?" he said steadily, for he had no need to draw breath, even after such a tussle.

Even still, Osk was unrelenting, now driven only by the will to fight. All of his conscious mind seemed to be shut out, replaced by a simple bloodlust. Guardian now feared what measures he might be forced to in order to return Osk to himself.

As it happened, all that was required was time. Guardian weathered all assaults against him, while doing little in return for fear of injuring Osk beyond repair. It one final attempt, the Zabrak darted behind Guardian and locked his arms around the metal-plating waist. Despite his considerable weight, Guardian was lifted upwards as his opponent arched backwards, releasing a primal shout as he did so. As Osk feel so did Guardian and he landed hard on his neck.

But there was no crack. No damage at all, in fact. In one smooth motion he rose, completely unharmed by a fall that would have killed any other humanoid.

It was time to end this.

Guardian calmly summoned his lightsaber to him from where it had lain neglected on the now-scratched floor and ignited the amber blade. "Enough of this. A real danger is soon upon us, but an opportunity also. There are droids approaching, but to reach us they must deactivate the shield that keeps us from progressing. Will you work with me?"

"Yeah, I can hear them coming now," Osk panted. "Okay, you don't have to worry about me coming at you from behind. There are bigger problems to face now."

"Indeed. And with your anger, I hope, spent, perhaps you will cooperate with me once more."

"I haven't forgiven you for allowing what happened to Jace... but I do believe you won't turn against me, not after the secrets we shared last night. For now, we stand again as allies."

No more talk could be had as a trio of humanoid droids came into view. They were heavily armored, shining the same chrome color that coated everything else in these tunnels, and each held a blaster in its hand. A danger to the weaponless they might be, but not to Guardian.

It was all over in moments. The energy shield lowered, the blasters fired, and the laser beams were redirected into the metallic bodies of the bots that had fired them.

The short battle finished, Guardian strode ahead, eager to continue. Osk, however, bent over one of the sparking droids and studied it for a moment. He then wrenched the pistol from its hand and holstered it, only to remove the weapon of another, which he kept in his hand.

"Do you need two of them," Guardian inquired. Now that Osk's aggression toward him had abated, the ancient was anxious to continue on and reconvene with Hazel and Rahm as soon as possible.

"Better safe than sorry." Osk stood up, brushed himself off, and strode up beside Guardian. "Now let's get going. I reckon we have a lot of ground to cover before we reach the others."

With that the two began their long traversal of the dark halls, illuminated only by the glow of Guardian's blade. Even Guardian did not now know what would befall them as they continued on into the bowels of this mysterious, artificial world.


End file.
